Gov. Jerry Brown warned that the state’s fire seasons will continue to get longer and more volatile, and called for a global fight against climate change after visiting devastated parts of Ventura County on Saturday morning.

The Thomas fire, the largest of Southern California’s six continuing infernos, expanded from 148,000 to 155,000 acres and was only 15 percent contained in its sixth day, even as officials flooded the area with local, state and federal firefighters and equipment — including two C-130 military transport aircraft.

The blaze destroyed 600 structures and threatened more as it spread north toward Santa Barbara. Already, $17 million has been spent on fire-suppression efforts, the Ventura County Fire Department reported.

“This is the new normal,” Brown said, in a news conference after his tour. “We’re facing a new reality where fires threaten peoples’ lives, their properties, their neighborhoods and cost billions and billions of dollars. We have to have the resources to combat the fires, and also have to invest in managing our vegetation and forests and all the ways we dwell in this very wonderful place — but a place that’s getting hotter.”

Brown surveyed the fire damage and met with residents before joining local, state and federal officials at the command post at the Ventura County Fairgrounds in Ventura.

Brown has declared a state of emergency and authorized the deployment of 1,200 National Guard members to assist firefighters. California Highway Patrol and the Federal Emergency Management Agency are also supporting local and state fire officials.

On Friday, Brown requested that President Donald Trump approve an emergency declaration for more funds.

“There have (historically) been very long droughts in California and we are getting some of those returning very bad, and we’re going to get them returning more often,” Brown said. “And then, with climate change, some scientists are saying California is literally burning up.”

CalFire Chief Ken Pimlott said the six fires across southern California pose a special challenge to emergency responders because of prolonged volatile wind gusts and extremely dry conditions.

There are 8,500 firefighters attacking the six fires, which have burned 175,000 acres in total since Monday and destroyed 793 structures.

“The winds are variable and they will continue to be strong and dry through tomorrow and even next week,” Pimlott said. “It’s December and it’s amazing to see that we aren’t out of fire season. This is the challenge we face.”

As of Saturday morning, this was the status of other fires across southern California:

In San Diego County, the Lilac fire was burning on 4,100 acres, at 20 percent containment.

The Creek fire, in the San Fernando Valley, was 80 percent contained across 15,619 acres.

The Liberty fire burned on 300 acres and was 90 percent contained in Murrieta.

Despite the continuing threat of winds sparking new fires, emergency responders have begun planning recovery efforts for individuals and government resources affected.

“We have to respond, but we have to plan what we can do in the forests and neighborhoods,” Brown said. “And we also have to deal with the larger challenge, which is climate change itself. I know that’s maybe a little remote, but it’s real and we’re experiencing what it’s going to look like on a very regular basis. That requires people everywhere in the whole world to pull together in the largest sense possible and take the heroic action we need to make our communities livable now and in the distant future.”

Brian Rokos writes about public safety issues such as policing, criminal justice, scams, how law affects public safety, firefighting tactics and wildland fire danger. He has also covered the cities of San Bernardino, Corona, Norco, Lake Elsinore, Perris, Canyon Lake and Hemet. Before that he supervised reporters and worked as a copy editor. For some reason, he enjoys movies where the Earth is threatened with extinction.

Sandy Mazza is a freelancer. She previously worked for Southern California News Group as a city reporter covering Carson and Hawthorne and specializing in features about Los Angeles' growing Silicon Beach tech, bioscience, and aerospace sectors.